Federal transit funding will increase in North Carolina

North Carolina officials have announced that federal transit funding to the state will increase by 25% this fiscal year. 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is awarding North Carolina $176 million in public transit funding as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That's about a 25% increase over what the state received from the FTA in the last fiscal year. And it includes over $45 million in funding for rural transit services.

According to a news release from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the extra dollars will go toward replacing aging vehicles and hiring additional operators. It's expected that many of the new vehicles will be zero-emission, as the state pivots toward converting public fleets to be more environmentally friendly.

The increase in funding will also open the door to utilizing new technologies, including on-demand ride-sharing and cashless pay systems.

State Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette praised what he called a "bipartisan effort" to funnel money toward public transit.